Sacramento Municipal Utility District Named Innovator of the Year in 2019 Sacramento Region Innovation Awards

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Stoel Rives LLP is pleased to announce that Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has been named Innovator of the Year in the 2019 Sacramento Region Innovation Awards program. The honor will be presented at the awards program to be held on Nov. 7 at the Crest Theater in downtown Sacramento.

SMUD began serving Sacramento in 1946 and today is the nation’s sixth-largest community-owned electric utility. It is recognized nationally and internationally for its innovative energy efficiency programs and renewable power technologies.

“We created the Sacramento Region Innovation Awards program to celebrate the regional innovation ecosystem in its entirety,” said Christopher L. Russell, a Stoel Rives partner and chair of the Sacramento Region Innovation Awards. “SMUD’s commitment to the Mobility Center, the Powerhouse Science Center, HackerLab, CleanStart and other organizations working to develop an innovation economy in the region, as well as its initiatives to address climate change, demonstrates that SMUD embodies the region’s spirit of innovation in thought leadership and environmental stewardship.”

As a community-owned, not-for-profit electric service, SMUD aims to provide customers with safe, reliable electricity at affordable rates. The utility is focused on reducing its reliance on carbon-based fuels and meeting ambitious environmental goals set by the elected board of directors and state lawmakers to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

SMUD is committed to finding ways to reduce its impact on the environment, improve regional air quality and conserve resources. Nearly 20 percent of its 1,200-vehicle fleet is composed of hybrid or electric vehicles, helping to reduce air emissions. Its buildings are designed to be energy efficient; its customer service center won the highest award given for energy efficiency and environmental, the LEED platinum award, and all new SMUD buildings will be LEED certified at least at the silver level. In addition, SMUD is on track to provide one-third of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, thanks to investments in wind, solar and biogas.

Founded in 2016, the Sacramento Region Innovation Awards program recognizes the area’s vibrant innovation community — from startups to established companies — and their breakthrough creations. The program is organized and hosted by Stoel Rives LLP, with support from the Sacramento Business Journal and Moss Adams LLP. To learn more, visit https://www.sacramentoinnovationawards.com/.